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Canfield church brings Last Supper to life
By LINDA M. LINONIS
CANFIELD
The Rev. Kathryn Adams brings a personal connection to “The Living Last Supper” production she is directing at Western Reserve United Methodist Church.
As a student at Scarritt College for Christian Workers and Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn., she gave historical interpretations of a nearly life-size woodcarving of the Last Supper featured in the Upper Room Chapel in Nashville. She said the woodcarving is the largest reproduction of the “Last Supper” painting and among the most beautiful in the world.
“Visitors from all over the country and the world come to see it,” she said.
The now-retired campus and church minister said she was motivated to tackle such a production because of her experience serving two churches in Cleveland, which offered the presentation. “It’s very powerful ... seeing the re-enactment,” the Rev. Mrs. Adams said.
“The Living Last Supper” will recreate the 15th-century mural painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the dining hall of the Convent of Santa Maria Della Grazie in Milan, Italy. It endures as one of the world’s most-famous paintings and one of the most studied, she said.
Mrs. Adams said it is believed da Vinci began the mural in 1495 and it was completed by 1498; it was part of renovations at the site. The “Last Supper” mural was painted on a dry wall, not on wet plaster as a fresco would have been done. Da Vinci also used oil and tempera paints and dried plaster. Humidity led to the deterioration of the mural. The last restoration was in 1999. Nonetheless, Mrs. Adams said, it remains a tourist and art attraction, with a waiting list to see it.
She said Doug Price, a narrator, will begin the presentation as pianist Mark Halls, choir director, plays in the background. The disciples and Jesus will enter one by one and sit at the table. Then, each disciple will take the spotlight and describe who he is and what he is known for. “It’s powerful to hear and see,” the director said, adding, “It is an emotional experience.”
The last disciple to speak will be Judas Iscariot, followed by Jesus. From the Gospel of John 13:21, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth one of you is going to betray me.” The painting shows the disciples’ reaction to what Jesus said; each response reflects degrees of anger and disbelief. “The disciples and Jesus will hold a pose for 30 seconds,” Mrs. Adams said.
Among reactions portrayed by da Vinci are Judas Iscariot, staring at Jesus and holding a bag filled with 30 pieces of silver; Thomas raising his finger and seeming to ask “Is it I?”; and Philip pointing to himself with both hands.
Then the disciples will walk to each table with a chalice, and people may dip bread into grape juice. The choir will sing. Then, one by one, the disciples and Jesus will leave.
Mrs. Adams will offer a final comment. She said what is called “the Passion” begins when Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem, what Christians observe as Palm Sunday, and ends with the crucifixion and death.
She said after the Passover meal in the upper room, the disciples and Jesus go to the garden of Gethsemane, where Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. The term Maundy comes from the word “mandatum,” which means commandment. It refers to the words of Jesus when he tells the disciples: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Jordan Ramsey plays Jesus. Mrs. Adams asked the member of Poland Village Baptist Church to play the role. “I look the part since I have longish hair and beard,” he said. “I’ve tried to imagine what it must have been like for Jesus.
“I hope the audience gets a greater appreciation and understanding of the depth of Christ’s love for us. And, I hope they also have a deeper appreciation for da Vinci’s painting and what it depicts.”
He said he thinks the painting shows “a moment in time” and “humanity and deity.”
Ramsey said the experience is giving him a “deeper insight” into the Easter season.
The Rev. Don Christenson, retired pastor of Canfield United Methodist Church, plays Matthew. “I think it puts a face on the story and makes it more real,” he said. “I hope it makes it more personal for people ... what Jesus did for us.”